Methods and apparatus to play and control playing of media content in a web page

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to play and control playing of media content in a web page are disclosed. In one example, a method of monitoring media content in a web page loads a web page containing a media player and media content, processes an image of the web page to determine a control associated with the media player, and monitors the media content based on the control.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an image generator to generate an image of a webpage as the webpage would be displayed by a device, the webpage including a media player to play first media;   an image analyzer to
 identify a media area of the media player; 
 identify user controls of the media player based on symbols associated with the user controls; and 
 determine whether first media is playing in the media area based on at least one of the user controls; 
   a media player controller to simulate a user input to command the media player to play the first media; and   a signature generator to generate a signature of the first media and to send the signature to a media content identifier that is to identify the first media based on the signature.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a first media player of a plurality of media players included in the webpage, and the media player controller is to consecutively command the first media player to play the first media and a second media player of the webpage to play second media. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the signature is a first signature, and the signature generator is further to:
 generate a second signature of the second media; and   send the second signature to the media content identifier, the media content identifier to identify the second media based on the second signature.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the image generator is to generate successive images of the web page, and the image analyzer is to determine whether the first media is playing in the media area based on detected changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media area. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the image generator is to generate successive images of the web page, and the image analyzer is to determine whether the first media is playing in the media area based on changes to the symbols between the successive images. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the signature generator is further to:
 generate the signature while the first media is playing;   update the signature when the first media is finished playing; and   send the updated signature to the media content identifier, the media content identifier to identify the first media based on the updated signature.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the user controls include at least one of a play button, a pause button, a stop button, a play/stop button, a play/pause button, a volume control, a progress bar, a media display size control, a fast forward button, a rewind button, a time elapsed indicator, a countdown indicator, or a time elapsed/total time indicator. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 generating, by executing an instruction with a processor, an image of a webpage as the webpage would be displayed by a device, the webpage including a media player to play first media;   identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a media area of the media player;   identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, user controls of the media player based on symbols associated with the user controls;   determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, whether first media is playing in the media area based on at least one of the user controls;   simulating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a user input to command the media player to play the first media; and   generating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a signature of the first media to send to a media content identifier that is to identify the first media based on the signature.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the media player is a first media player of a plurality of media players included in the webpage, and further including consecutively commanding the first media player to play the first media and a second media player of the webpage to play second media. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the signature is a first signature, and further including:
 generating a second signature of the second media; and   sending the second signature to the media content identifier, the media content identifier to identify the second media based on the second signature.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further including generating successive images of the web page, wherein determining whether the first media is playing in the media area is further based on detected changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media content area. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further including generating successive images of the web page, wherein determining whether the first media is playing in the media area is further based on changes to the symbols between the successive images. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the generating of the signature occurs while the first media is playing, and further including generating an updated signature when the first media is finished playing, wherein the media content identifier is to identify the first media based on the updated signature. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user controls include at least one of a play button, a pause button, a stop button, a play/stop button, a play/pause button, a volume control, a progress bar, a media display size control, a fast forward button, a rewind button, a time elapsed indicator, a countdown indicator, or a time elapsed/total time indicator. 
     
     
         15 . A tangible computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
 generate an image of a webpage as the webpage would be displayed by a device, the webpage including a media player to play first media;   identify a media area of the media player;   identify user controls of the media player based on symbols associated with the user controls;   determine whether first media is playing in the media area based on at least one of the user controls;   simulate a user input to command the media player to play the first media; and   generate a signature of the first media to send to a media content identifier that is to identify the first media based on the signature.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the media player is a first media player of a plurality of media players included in the webpage, and further including instructions to consecutively command the first media player to play the first media and a second media player of the webpage to play second media. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the signature is a first signature, and further including instructions to:
 generate a second signature of the second media; and   send the second signature to the media content identifier, the media content identifier to identify the second media based on the second signature.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further including instructions to generate successive images of the web page, wherein the instructions to determine whether the first media is playing in the media area are further based on detected changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media content area. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further including instructions to generate successive images of the web page, wherein the instructions to determine whether the first media is playing in the media area are further based on changes to the symbols between the successive images. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions to generate the signature are to execute while the first media is playing, and further including instructions to generate an updated signature when the first media is finished playing, wherein the media content identifier is to identify the first media based on the updated signature.